(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a forming and cooling device for a flowable, melted food mass.
Specifically, the invention relates to a forming and cooling device as is generally known from DE 103 28 905 A1.
(2) Description of Related Art
DE 103 28 905 A1 shows a device, as depicted in FIG. 1, in which a melted food mass 1, more particularly processed cheese, is rolled and cooled to form a continuous strip 6. To this end, the device comprises two oppositely rotating, endless cooling belts 2, 3, each of which is guided over an upper deflection roller 4 and a lower deflection roller 5. The two cooling belts 2, 3, which are preferably designed as steel belts, are spaced apart from one another in order to form the strip 6 of the food mass (processed cheese).
Each side of the cooling belts 2, 3 facing away from the strip 6 of food mass is acted upon by a cooling fluid 7 in order to cool the melted food mass.
The cooling of the food mass requires uniform cooling and good dissipation of the heat quantity introduced by the food mass. It is also necessary to supply and drain off the cooling fluid (water) in a reliable manner.
The problem addressed by the invention is that of creating a device of the initially-mentioned type that ensures reliable cooling while having a simple design and simple, cost-favorable manufacturability and that is characterized by a high degree of operational dependability.